Roku 3 Review: Our Top Pick for Streaming Players

The search for the best legal online streaming service for yourself will inevitably lead you to asking yourself, “What in the world is a Roku 3?” We’ve talked about it previously in any number of our posts, but never really gone into detail on what it’s about, how much Roku 3 costs or how good of a service it actually is.

Through this Roku 3 review, we’ll be discussing the key elements to what exactly makes a Roku so popular, and why it’s grown as big as it has. Hopefully by the end you’ll know exactly why it’s a better investment than standard cable television, as well as answers to any other questions you might have about this top grade digital streaming device.

What is the Roku 3?

The Roku 3 is a set-top box originally created by Anthony Wood, one of the actual founders of the DVR, something we’ve grown accustomed to in this day and age. This sleek design set-top box receives input via this internet, through WiFi or straight from your router, a vast improvement from the Roku LT’s 720p. After receiving the digital input, it then converts the signal to something you can watch in up to 1080p HD!

Basically, it’s there for anyone looking to cancel their cable only to replace it with a much cheaper option, or for those looking to supplement cable with streaming of services like Netflix and Hulu.

Design

The design of the Roku 3 is fairly curvaceous, with a sleek looking outer material. Instead of looking like just another box, this 5 ounce machine is smaller than its predecessors, with the dimensions coming in at only 3.5″x3.5″x1″.

For those that dislike the design, or those that simply hate clutter, this tiny box can be displayed or put out of sight much easier than any other cable company ‘box’ you’re already used to.

Installation made easy

To set up a new out-of-the-box Roku 3, you’re probably looking at spending a large portion of your day setting it up – just kidding. The Roku 3 is actually incredibly easy to set up, so straight from the box, here’s what you do:

Remove from box.

Plug in the power adapter for the box and insert batteries to the controller.

Connect the box to your television via an HDMI cable. If you don’t have one already, these cables come relatively cheap (around $10), but unfortunately the Roku doesn’t come with one.

If not connecting to WiFi, plug in the Ethernet cable (I actually prefer to plug in, as you don’t have to deal with WiFi issues, but to each his own).

Turn the Roku on.

Here’s where the internal setup begins, as you’re already finished setting up the actual box itself.

Select your home network from the list of available ones and enter your password.

After doing so, an activation code will appear across the screen, which you would then use on Roku’s website — this registers your new device.

After that’s complete, a software update will occur on the box, promptly restarting it.

You’re done!

That’s it folks, with just a few minutes out of your day you’ll be able to watch shows live on TV, or streaming from services like Netflix and Hulu. It’s really that simple!

Roku 3 Review: What are the key features and benefits of a Roku 3?

Now, by this point you’re probably asking yourself what all the benefits of owning a Roku are. Outside of the obvious video streaming, what else can the service provide? Well there’s a few more cool added benefits to choosing Roku 3 than you might think, to name a few:

Remote-based voice searching allows you to speak the titles you want to see, directly to the remote, and the box will find them! It searches across multiple platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more, letting you know where the content is and how much it costs.

The simple to understand interface is easier to navigate through than virtually any other device. It’s not rocket science, people.

Music streaming is available through apps like Pandora, straight to your TV.

Want to play games? When you turn the remote sideways, it functions as a controller. Add games and play!

What Roku 3 channels are available?

Roku provides a medley of different live and on-demand channels, as well as access to ‘channels’ that you would otherwise not find on a regular cable television device. Compared to the Amazon or Apple boxes, there’s more available content — by far. With over

Here’s a list of just some of the free channels provided by Roku:

YouTube

ABC News

CBS News

PBS

The History Channel

The 24-7 Horror Channel

Crackle

And many more!

With over 1,500 channels available to stream in the US, you’ll never run out of things to watch! If you have a Sling TV subscription, which we highly suggest, you’ll be able to view even more of the most popular cable television channels without a cable subscription.

How much would you be paying for a Roku 3?

Straight from the Roku website, you’ll be looking at paying $100, but we’ve seen sales on Amazon for as low as $69.99 as well. On average however, you’re looking at shelling out around the $100 mark, which can seem like a lot, but there’s no requirement for a subscription either.